PERSONAL HEALTH

Having trouble sleeping these days? It could be anxiety about COVID-19

“The world is kind of Especially older people. “More ‘upside-down’ right now,” Dr. than one-half of the elderly have Abul Matin said in his soft- at least one sleep complaint,” spoken, but strong and steady the researchers said. voice. He is a pulmonologist in Sleep patterns change as Atlanta and has over 45 years we age; most older adults are of experience in on medications, medicine. Today, which can affect he is associated sleep; and an urgent with Northside need to awaken Hospital and is for bathroom use focused on sleep may become more patterns and sleep prevalent, as we studies. grow older. Other

Our factors can include conversation is substance abuse about sleep and (including alcohol), COVID-19. Has the or psychiatric pandemic caused disorders. a sudden surge in the number Judith L. Kanne, The most common sleep of patients RN, BSN, BA disorder in both having difficulty sleeping? The answer appears to is a registered nurse and freelance writer who lives the general population (and more importantly be “yes.” in Atlanta. in seniors) is

Even before insomnia. A 2018 COVID-19, medical experts were Psychiatric Times article by concerned about increasing sleep study specialists from the rates of insomnia and its impact University of California at Davis on physical and emotional reported that, in one study, 65% health. Now, they say, the of patients [diagnosed] with huge changes in routines depression, 61% of patients and the decreased activity with panic disorder and 44% for many people caused by of patients with generalized the coronavirus has caused a anxiety disorder reported [the second pandemic of insomnia. problem of] insomnia.”

“Neurologists who specialize Problems related to in sleep disorders are seeing “insomnia” may include the an increase in sleep disorders following: associated with COVID-19, a ■ Having difficulty surge they're terming COVID- initiating or falling asleep. somnia,” a report in “Neurology Today” says. The phenomenon is being reported and treated not only in people recovering from COVID-19, but in the far ■ Experiencing trouble maintaining a state of sleep, such as waking up frequently during the night. larger number includes those ■ The problem of waking up whose lives have been turned too early and then having upside down by fear and social difficulty going back to isolation, according to the sleep. article. ■ You don’t wake up feeling

Having trouble sleeping is rested. nothing new, of course. Even in normal times, approximately 30% to 35% of the population experiences acute, or short-term, insomnia, sleep experts say. But doctors say more and more people now find themselves facing sleepless nights. Advice from several experts to address such sleep problems includes setting a daily routine and avoiding middle of the night ‘blue light’ (coming from our cellphones and televisions). Avoid (if possible) “anxietyprovoking” news programs, especially at bedtime. For those who are now working from home, try to wake up at your same time when you were commuting to an office. Preserve time for exercise and lose weight if you need to.

History of Sleep Studies and Sleep Deprivation

If you’re having trouble sleeping and can’t determine why, one way to find out and to deal with the problem is to take part in a sleep study. In such a study, medical professionals monitor you sleep and record your actions during the night.

The experts tell us that “advances in sleep science have occurred over the past halfcentury since the discovery of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in 1953. The evaluation and management of sleep disorders have developed only within the past quarter-century.” The history of sleep study growth is relatively young — in fact, many early researchers are still alive.

The first sleep lab appears to have been created in the mid1920s, by Nathaniel Kleitman at the University of Chicago. He was particularly interested in circadian rhythms, sleep deprivation and wakefulness regulation. Today, sleep study centers abound nationwide. It’s even possible to have your study set up in the convenience of your own home, depending on insurance coverage and other factors.

Lack of sleep has proven to be more than a little dangerous, to the sleep-deprived person and to others. “Investigators have ruled that sleep deprivation was a significant factor in the 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile Island, as well as the 1986 nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl,” a Harvard healthy sleep article reports.

More recently, investigations of the grounding of the Exxon Valdez oil tanker and the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger concluded that sleep deprivation also played a critical role in these accidents.”

“In both cases, those in charge of the operations and required to make critical decisions were operating under extreme sleep deprivation,” says the Harvard study. “While the Challenger disaster put the multi-billion-dollar shuttle program in peril for a time, the Exxon Valdez oil spill resulted in incalculable ecological, environmental, and economic damage.”

What About Today’s Pandemic?

A sleep study lab is much like a hotel room that includes machines to monitor a subjects’ sleep patterns. A person being studied might be cared for by a nurse who specializes in sleep studies, a ‘sleep pathologist,’ or another trained health care person.

“Just one night of poor sleep can significantly drop [our] immune system responsiveness by 70 percent,” states Wellstar Sleep Centers, Executive Director Massey Arrington.

“If left untreated, sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, snoring, and insomnia can lead to decreased quality of life, memory problems, depression and cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease,” she said.

Medicare Part B covers Type I, II, III and IV sleep tests and devices, but only if patients show clinical signs and symptoms of sleep apnea. Medicare only covers Type I tests if they’re done “in” a sleep lab facility, says Medicare.gov’s website. Patients pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the Part B deductible has been met.

Johns Hopkins’ website reminds patients: “… sleep studies produce hundreds of pages of information about your night in a sleep lab. It will give your doctor the ‘big picture about your sleep, plus important details.”

It’s an important test and easy to overlook in the midst of today’s COVID-19 pandemic.